Fans fume over De Minaur and Katie Boulter snub days after Aussie's triumph

Yahoo

4 days ago

Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter will be hoping to get one of the final two places left in the US Open mixed doubles comp after being snubbed from the first round of selections, days after the Aussie won the Citi Open title. The US Open has made a controversial change to the mixed doubles in 2025 with singles ranked players earning preference into the main draw.
The winners of the reduced 16 team competition will take home $1 million ($A1.6m) and the tournament will take place the week before the official US Open main card. There has been backlash over the decision to change the format with the combined singles rankings deciding eight teams.
This means lower ranked players, who often rely on prize money from mixed doubles at grand slams to survive, have been largely excluded. But it hasn't deterred huge names such as Aryna Sabalenka, Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz entering the competition.
De Minaur and Boulter also entered their name in the competition, but missed out on automatic selection because their combined singles ranking was 53 at the time. Despite being fresh off his win at the Citi Open this week, de Minaur and Boulter have missed out on the first six wildcard positions with only two left.
American teams were heavily favoured in the wildcard entry with Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka earning a ticket, while popular team Emma Raducanu and Alcaraz also gained entry. Djokovic was granted a wildcard with partner Olga Danilovich and last year's mixed doubles champs Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori made it.
Unfortunately, de Minaur and Boulter will have to wait to see if they get one of the final two positions at a later date. But de Minaur has moved to express his interest in the competition and pleaded with the US Open to give them an opportunity.
"Katie and I would like to ask for a WC pretty, pretty please," he wrote on social after learning they had missed out on initial selection. While British and Australian fans would like to see de Minaur and Boulter team up again, which hasn't happened officially since Wimbledon 2023, many feel for the mixed doubles pairs that have missed out.
Katie and I would like to ask for a WC pretty pretty please 🙏😢 https://t.co/wLwPfKQjAa
— alex de minaur (@alexdeminaur) July 30, 2025
While 2 places are still open in the new 16 team US Open mixed doubles event, it's surprising not to see Alex De Minaur and Katie Boulter already in the lineup. The field presently has 6 players who have been singles No1's and 9 who have won singles majors.
— Craig Gabriel (@crosscourt1) July 29, 2025
Please add Boulter and De Minaur 🙏
— Gerard (@gstzombie) July 29, 2025
Tennis calls out US Open mixed doubles event
The format changes have been heavily criticised among fans and the players. Dedicated doubles and mixed doubles players no longer have another avenue of playing in a grand slam and earning money at the US Open. Many of the lower ranked players were getting by on the tour thanks to entering mixed doubles competitions and earning money. Grand slams are the highest paying tournaments for these players.
The US Open halving the number of pairs and favouring singles rankings has all but ended any chance of lower ranked tennis players earning money at Flushing Meadows. This has seen the tournament face backlash to their decision, which goes against tennis tradition.
When the US Open announced the changes, Aussie mixed doubles player Ellen Perez led the frustration. The Aussie is World No.19 in doubles, but currently unranked in singles. The 29-year-old joined the chorus of players unleashing on the rule changes having suggested the US Open has disrespected the tradition of tennis.
Tell us that you think doubles players are trash, that tradition is overrated and job opportunity is a thing of the past without actually saying it. 🤡👏 https://t.co/xxWeH5e9FD
— Ellen Perez (@EllenPerez95) February 11, 2025
Alex de Minaur wins Citi Open title
While de Minaur may have been deflated him and his fiancee were not selected in the first round of selections for the US Open, he would be elated having won the Citi Open in Washington earlier this week. De Minaur came from behind to beat Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Fokina was in tears after the match with de Minaur saving three championship points on his way to the three-set victory. De Minaur noticed how distraught his opponent was and immediately went to console him.
The Aussie was seen sitting next to Fikona before wrapping an arm around his opponent and offering some words of encouragement. Tennis fans and commentators were blown away by de Minaur's gesture, which came before he even properly celebrated the victory with the trophy.